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| Can Paul Ryan Still Sell the G.O.P. Agenda? | Can Paul Ryan Still Sell the G.O.P. Agenda? |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| WASHINGTON — Paul D. Ryan, the reluctant House speaker, eager 2012 vice-presidential nominee and youthful answer to Hillary Clinton, should be sprinting toward the Republican convention, a bright, optimistic star poised to sell his party’s agenda. | WASHINGTON — Paul D. Ryan, the reluctant House speaker, eager 2012 vice-presidential nominee and youthful answer to Hillary Clinton, should be sprinting toward the Republican convention, a bright, optimistic star poised to sell his party’s agenda. |
| Instead, Mr. Ryan finds himself essentially slouching toward Cleveland, hampered in the House by restive Republicans and emboldened Democrats, and his spotlight taken by a nominee who has yet to fully earn his respect. | Instead, Mr. Ryan finds himself essentially slouching toward Cleveland, hampered in the House by restive Republicans and emboldened Democrats, and his spotlight taken by a nominee who has yet to fully earn his respect. |
| Mr. Ryan’s fledgling speakership, which he once suggested would be one giant policy discussion, has instead been a series of extraordinary challenges. He has sought to be the voice of moral clarity for his party, even as Republicans fracture over the divisive candidacy of Donald J. Trump. | Mr. Ryan’s fledgling speakership, which he once suggested would be one giant policy discussion, has instead been a series of extraordinary challenges. He has sought to be the voice of moral clarity for his party, even as Republicans fracture over the divisive candidacy of Donald J. Trump. |
| He has tried to ground himself in Republican policy as the country’s political axis has shifted after terrorist attacks and gun violence, and has taken to more populist economic views. Mr. Ryan, the country’s highest-ranking Republican, seeks to maintain his stature in the party without alienating its Trumpian factions or its Romney-esque traditionalists. | |
| His most basic legislative agenda — getting a budget and spending bills passed — has failed, killed off by his right flank. He has been through a month of altercations with Democrats over gun legislation, and now is forced to punish them for their sit-in on the House floor. | His most basic legislative agenda — getting a budget and spending bills passed — has failed, killed off by his right flank. He has been through a month of altercations with Democrats over gun legislation, and now is forced to punish them for their sit-in on the House floor. |
| What would seem to be among his easier tasks — backing the presumptive Republican presidential nominee — has become a bizarre ritual of alternately denouncing and then supporting Mr. Trump, on an almost weekly basis. An attempt to pass a modest bill aimed at preventing terrorists from acquiring guns has been deeply resisted by many Republicans, even though their Senate counterparts want it. | What would seem to be among his easier tasks — backing the presumptive Republican presidential nominee — has become a bizarre ritual of alternately denouncing and then supporting Mr. Trump, on an almost weekly basis. An attempt to pass a modest bill aimed at preventing terrorists from acquiring guns has been deeply resisted by many Republicans, even though their Senate counterparts want it. |
| Instead of sitting around poring over policy with committee chairmen, Mr. Ryan, 46, spends much of his day dealing with minor member issues, like complaints that he did not return messages quickly enough. | |
| Mr. Ryan grudgingly agreed to his speakership — for which he was drafted under protest — to give his party a sense of unity and stability. He now finds himself in the most chaotic climate his party has seen in more than a generation. | Mr. Ryan grudgingly agreed to his speakership — for which he was drafted under protest — to give his party a sense of unity and stability. He now finds himself in the most chaotic climate his party has seen in more than a generation. |
| “Paul Ryan has stepped into an enormously complicated situation,” said Representative Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania, who is one of the moderate House Republicans who have distanced themselves from Mr. Trump. | |
| “The underlying dynamics that drove out John Boehner remain,” Mr. Dent said of the former speaker. “Now you have Donald Trump and all his rhetoric, and he knows most of his members want him to support Trump while others like me want to keep their distance. Then, not being able to pass a budget may be one of the greatest frustrations for the speaker. A lot of members don’t want anything to do with firearms or the budget. They want to cancel the session after the election. That is where we are.” | “The underlying dynamics that drove out John Boehner remain,” Mr. Dent said of the former speaker. “Now you have Donald Trump and all his rhetoric, and he knows most of his members want him to support Trump while others like me want to keep their distance. Then, not being able to pass a budget may be one of the greatest frustrations for the speaker. A lot of members don’t want anything to do with firearms or the budget. They want to cancel the session after the election. That is where we are.” |
| Unlike Mr. Boehner, who went sailing into private life after being deposed by conservatives, Mr. Ryan continues to cheerfully promote the House agenda. | Unlike Mr. Boehner, who went sailing into private life after being deposed by conservatives, Mr. Ryan continues to cheerfully promote the House agenda. |
| He makes frequent television appearances and attends local media events at home in Wisconsin. He will tell anyone who will listen about the conservative policy agenda he intends to pursue next year, in spite of the possibility that Mrs. Clinton might be in the White House. Further, Mr. Trump has shown little interest in his priorities so far. | He makes frequent television appearances and attends local media events at home in Wisconsin. He will tell anyone who will listen about the conservative policy agenda he intends to pursue next year, in spite of the possibility that Mrs. Clinton might be in the White House. Further, Mr. Trump has shown little interest in his priorities so far. |
| “When the speaker took the job, he did it to help steady the ship at a difficult moment,” said Brendan Buck, a spokesman for Mr. Ryan. “He continues to try to be a stabilizing figure for the party and this place.” | “When the speaker took the job, he did it to help steady the ship at a difficult moment,” said Brendan Buck, a spokesman for Mr. Ryan. “He continues to try to be a stabilizing figure for the party and this place.” |
| Also, unlike Mr. Boehner, Mr. Ryan remains largely popular with his fellow House Republicans, who have appreciated his inclusive style. Even among supporters of Mr. Trump, there is respect for Mr. Ryan’s consistency on core party issues. | Also, unlike Mr. Boehner, Mr. Ryan remains largely popular with his fellow House Republicans, who have appreciated his inclusive style. Even among supporters of Mr. Trump, there is respect for Mr. Ryan’s consistency on core party issues. |
| It is particularly rankling for Mr. Ryan, a former chairman of the House Budget Committee, that he is unable to pass a budget. The most conservative House Republicans do not want to honor a deal struck by Mr. Boehner and the White House last year, which raised statutory budget caps to increase government spending. Many have made it clear they will not vote for a budget with that higher spending level. | It is particularly rankling for Mr. Ryan, a former chairman of the House Budget Committee, that he is unable to pass a budget. The most conservative House Republicans do not want to honor a deal struck by Mr. Boehner and the White House last year, which raised statutory budget caps to increase government spending. Many have made it clear they will not vote for a budget with that higher spending level. |
| This has made the appropriations process equally charged. But that is where Mr. Ryan has other problems. Those bills have failed because of fights over an amendment to bar federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, fights over the use of the Confederate flag and other social issues. | This has made the appropriations process equally charged. But that is where Mr. Ryan has other problems. Those bills have failed because of fights over an amendment to bar federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, fights over the use of the Confederate flag and other social issues. |
| With Republicans likely to lose seats in November, narrowing their large majority in the House, the most conservative members are likely to make up a larger, not small percentage of his conference after November. Gerrymandered Republican House districts, which produce very conservative members, and the probable sweeping out of moderate members in a presidential year combine to make it so. | With Republicans likely to lose seats in November, narrowing their large majority in the House, the most conservative members are likely to make up a larger, not small percentage of his conference after November. Gerrymandered Republican House districts, which produce very conservative members, and the probable sweeping out of moderate members in a presidential year combine to make it so. |
| Democrats, smelling blood but not well positioned to take back the House, have instead challenged Mr. Ryan. | Democrats, smelling blood but not well positioned to take back the House, have instead challenged Mr. Ryan. |
| Two weeks ago, a rattled Mr. Ryan looked out on the House floor, where he has spent much of his adult life, and saw hundreds of Democrats, including many with whom he has served for years, shouting him down over gun control legislation. At 3 a.m., the heckles seemed to engulf the normally affable speaker as he struggled to call a vote on yet another bill that would go nowhere — this one helping to fight the Zika virus. | |
| Two weeks later, and the day after the death of five police officers in Dallas, Mr. Ryan stared out at those same colleagues and begged for conciliation in a moving speech on the floor. | Two weeks later, and the day after the death of five police officers in Dallas, Mr. Ryan stared out at those same colleagues and begged for conciliation in a moving speech on the floor. |
| “There will be a temptation to let our anger harden our divisions,” Mr. Ryan said Friday. “Let’s not let that happen. Let’s defy those predictions.” | |
| Democrats, who had planned another set of protests that day, stood down. Still, Mr. Ryan has vowed some form of punishment for their sit-in. | Democrats, who had planned another set of protests that day, stood down. Still, Mr. Ryan has vowed some form of punishment for their sit-in. |
| What happened on the House floor over the past few weeks “illustrated just how he is caught in the currents within his own party,” said Representative Sander M. Levin, Democrat of Michigan, who served with Mr. Ryan on the Ways and Means Committee and is close to him. | What happened on the House floor over the past few weeks “illustrated just how he is caught in the currents within his own party,” said Representative Sander M. Levin, Democrat of Michigan, who served with Mr. Ryan on the Ways and Means Committee and is close to him. |
| “I was surprised by his comments that our gun protests were a political stunt when he knew better,” Mr. Levin said. “He knew people like John Lewis and myself are not political-stunts people. His comment was contrary to the way he usually conducts himself.” | “I was surprised by his comments that our gun protests were a political stunt when he knew better,” Mr. Levin said. “He knew people like John Lewis and myself are not political-stunts people. His comment was contrary to the way he usually conducts himself.” |